Ganoid's and Madonnas: A Short Review of NAD Exhibition Two

The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB) and the Nassau Airport Development (NAD) have partnered to beautify the airport. The inaugural exhibition occurred in 2011, with February 2012 marking its second rotation. In charge of the project is Curatorial Assistant, Ashley Knowles, who curated 7 cabinets with the Curatorial team: Jackson Petit, Nastassia Pratt and Averia Wright. Each cabinet features works by different 3D artists.

Hoping to bring some diversity airport, Knowles intends to make a "call-for-artworks" for the September 2012 rotation encouraging all types of 3D artists to submit proposals. Knowles states, "I might have 14 cabinets in September, I am not too sure actually but I know that I want to push forward thinking that I do. I have submitted a proposal to further the collaboration between the NAGB and NAD, so there may be a big surprise coming soon- just wait and see! I'd also like to point out this project was alot of team work and was a big Curatorial effort." The public can expect and official call and press release to come out mid-May.

 

Cabinet 1, featuring "Ganoid" by Averia Wright and "Untitled Vase" by Denis Knight.

Cabinet 3 with artworks by Robin Hardy. All of his wood sculptures feature local wood such as guinep or sapodilla. 

Cabinet 2 featuring "Bahamian Madonna 1" and "Bahamian Madonna 2" sculpted women by artist, Joann Behagg.

Alternate view of Cabinet 2.

The first view, Cabinet 1 with artworks by Averia Wright and Denis Knight.

 Cabinet 2 featuring Bahamian Madonna's sculpted women by artist, Joann Behagg.

 Cabinet 5 featuring 3 amazing ceramic sculptures by artist, Imogene Walkine. Walkine is also featured in Cabinet 7.

Front view of Cabinet 4 with Botanical Vase and 2, 8 in. tiles by artist, Jessica Colebrooke.
Colebrooke is also featured in Cabinet 6, with 1 large rippled turtle and 2 baby turtles.
 

Alternate view of Cabinet 4 by artist, Jessica Colebrooke.

 Cabinet 5 featuring amazing ceramic sculptures by artist, Imogene Walkine.

 Alternate view of Cabinet 5 featuring sculptures by artist, Imogene Walkine.

 Cabinet 4 featuring wood sculptures by artist, Robin Hardy.

There will be upcoming opportunities for young artists to participate in the NAD Exhibition 3 rotation in September, 2012. Interested 3D artists can contact Ashley Knowles at aknowles@nagb.org.bs.

Blank Canvas: The Creative Community

NAGB Chief Curator John Cox welcomes Pam Burnside to NAGB: Blank Canvas on Guardian Radio 96.9FM. Together with NAGB Curatorial Assistant, Ashley Knowles they discuss the ‘Creative Community,’ Junkanoo’s place in the modern artistic community.

Junkanoo’s community based ideas and origins as well as the ongoing designation of Nassau as a city of folk art and craft by UNESCO

Blank Canvas will air every Wednesday at 6:30PM on Guardian Talk Radio 96.9 FM. Remember to stay tuned! Every week there will be different cohosts from the NAGB team and amazing guests.

How To: The Proper Conservation and Preservation of Paintings

A painting typically constitutes an oil or acrylic medium applied to a surface in a stylistic and artistic manner. Throughout history, artists have applied these mediums to a variety of support materials, the most popular being wood, metal sheets, various boards and canvases. These support materials are often prepped with varnishes and paints and once the painting is done, artists sometimes ‘finish’ the pieces with varnish or other chemicals. As a result, a painting constitutes many materials that react to the environment and each other in different ways.

Damage:

There are many types of damage to paintings. Typically damage takes the appearance of cracks, rips and tears in the paintings surface, frame or base. Parts of the painting can be distorted, discolored, faded or weakened by environmental damage. Paintings can also warp over time, so that the surface appears rippled or twists, adding strain and pressure to the piece. Wooden frames or structures are also susceptible from bugs such as termites.

Storage or Display:
Ignoring aesthetic choices, the placement of a painting is important. The owner must take into consideration certain factors such as, fluctuating temperatures, and the possibility of constant physical contact with individuals, objects or pets, fluctuating humilities and presence of sunlight. If possible, paintings should be displayed securely on walls that can provide insulation. They should also be displayed high enough for individuals to view them comfortably, without being low enough for children or pets to touch.

Avoid storing paintings in basements or attics, as temperatures fluctuate drastically in those areas, and are prone to moisture. Inspect paintings regularly, and if placed on racks, ensure that the racks are as flat as possible or grooves may appear on the surface or frame, depreciating its aesthetic and monetary value.

Shipping or Handling:

Improper handling is easily, one of the major causes of damage to artworks. Before handling or moving a painting, it is recommended that the movers do a cursory check over to make sure that no part of the painting is sticking out, dislodged and to note the current damage on the piece. Try to move painting as little as possible, especially in-between environments of hot to cold, or cool to cold air. These changes in humidity are the fastest way to create cracks in acrylic or oil paint. When deemed necessary to move a painting, avoid touching the paint surface or the back of the canvas. The pressure can also encourage cracks. It is highly recommended that all paintings be wrapped or packaged prior to movement. Make sure that the packaging is moisture and water resistant, sealed against humidity, dent resistant and cushioned and insulated.

Framing:
Not just an aesthetic choice, framing is an important part of a painting. If possible and structurally sound, keep the original frame of the painting. If the frame is deteriorating however, take the painting to professional framers. If not done properly, the frame will do more harm than good to the piece.

Other Resources:

Owners should not try to clean paintings themselves, always leave that to professional art cleaners or conservators. If living in a particularly dusty area, lights dusting with acid-free cloths are permissible, but owners need to be wary of applying pressure.

-AK

Works CitedCCI. "CCI: How to Care For - Works of Art on Paper." Welcome Page | Page D'accueil. Canadian Conservation Institute. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.

Notice: As We Knew Him Exhibition Closing

“Junkanoo is a celebration. Junkanoo represents the spirit of the Bahamian culture, and it is this spirit, once celebrated with the intensity of the parades in all other aspects of our culture, that will provide the leadership for our society in the future.”  - Jackson Burnside III, 2009.

Sunday, April 29th, 2012 is the last day to catch “As We Knew Him: One Family’s Tribute to Jackson Burnside Boxing Day 2011,” the NAGB’s first Junkanoo exhibition. The show has been running since February 3rd, 2012.

Covering the One Family Boxing Day Junkanoo parade, the show boasts a lively discussion on contemporary Junkanoo within an artistic setting. The show also commemorates Jackson Burnside through his art and participation in One Family. A popular show, the exhibition has hosted many tours, workshops and educational activities. There are still 2 opportunities to visit the gallery! Saturday, April 21st there is a Junkanoo Pasting Workshop, and on Thursday, April 26th there is a film entitled: A Beat Forever, Junkanoo.

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Junkanoo Pasting Workshop
Join The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas in an educational celebration of Junkanoo on Saturday, April 21st, 2012.

The NAGB’s Educational Department has created a complete family day where guests can: Participate in the following hands-on activity, create and paste your own Junkanoo piece.

Date: Saturday, April 21th, 2012
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm

RSVP by paying in advance by Friday, April 20th.

The workshop will only take place with a min. 10 RSVP's. We reserve the right to cancel this workshop if numbers are not met.

Prices are as follows:
$25 Adults
$20 NAGB Members
$10 for children under 12
$40 Family Ticket (2 adults, 2 kids; or 1 adult, 3 kids)

Price includes workshop and FREE entrance to gallery.

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NAGB FIlm Series: A Beat Forever, Junkanoo
Produced By: Isabella Astengo
Date: 8:00 pm, Thursday, April 26th, 2012

The film documents, 6 Characters, 6 Bahamians, 6 Junkanoers that takes the viewer on an incredible travel inside Junkanoo. The film follows the characters throughout a full year, discovering their inside passion, which begins with the conceptual idea to the performance on Bay Street. Darren Bastian, Jackson Burnside III, Arlene Nash Ferguson and Shona Wood, from One Family Warriors group; Howard Bethel and Chris Justilien from Colours talks about their passion, their life with and for Junkanoo.

"When I hear the music, the transformation take place, it starts with my head, then goes to my heart, then the cloths come off and then I become a fanatic, A Real Junkanoo Fanatic”, Darren Bastian, One Family’s Chairman Magnus.

The Education Department is excited to screen the film, “A Beat Forever: Junkanoo” because of the contents it offers the viewer. For the first time, the viewer can receive a ‘back stage pass” and go behind the scenes in the Junkanoo shacks, Junkanoo groups meetings, practices, and personal interviews with the individuals that make this event possible. The film also has interviews with Jackson Burnside III who is the star of the current exhibition at the gallery. The viewer will walk away with a complete understanding and appreciation of the Bahamian culture expression, Junkanoo.

Feature from the Exhibition: The Middle Passage

The Middle Passage, 2012
Jeffrey Meris
Cotton on Wood Installation Piece
200" x 180"
Currently on display at the NAGB till Thursday, April 26th, 2012

Appropriately entitled The Middle Passage, Jeffrey Meris’ large and imposing piece for Transforming Spaces: Fibre 2012 is a call to memory, history and healing. Located in the Project Space (PS) Room in the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas (NAGB), Meris was inspired by conceptual mixed media artists such as Bahamian native, Blue Curry, to create a piece that visitors can interact with. Indeed, the entire piece is physical, tactile and emotional experience. Upon entering the wide mouth of The Middle Passage, visitors enter a soundless, warm place. Cotton brushes their sides and indeed it surrounds them. They are compelled to further their journey, each step takes them into further, tighter and claustrophobic terrain till they are squeezed, packed and expelled through its much smaller exit point.

Meris’ choice in this natural fibre is an important one. “I wanted to do something with power. When I was looking at cotton, not the cosmetic stuff you buy in the store, but cotton in its rawest and natural state. I was looking at something with power, that had memories attached to it, some good and some bad,” he states. Indeed, the word “cotton” is a loaded one, a physical thing that is loaded with horrors and cultural memories. The cotton industry in18th century Bahamas helped to both, build and yet simultaneously deplete the nation. The cultivation of this fluffy, white substance brought people, money and industry to the land. The people, however, were not all free and the money it brought only lined certain pockets. This cash crop eventually turned against the nation it helped to build by depleting the naturally thin Bahamian soil of its nutrients. The plant was not safe in The Bahamas where the harsh sun, sporadic rains and insects brought this industry to a firm standstill.

This historical and cultural memory is not lost on visitors. One woman broke down half way through her journey through The Middle Passage and had to be encouraged to complete it. Meris, upon being told of this woman’s reaction, found her reaction empowering and encouraging, ”All I can say is wow. History definitely played a huge part in this piece, and I think the past is the past but remember it.”

The beauty of this piece lies in its ability to transform its meaning and power in each visitor differently. Children adore its textural qualities. Some adults are taken aback by the numbing silence as they enter, some experience fear at the narrowing light and some enter the passage forcefully, determined to conquer it. Regardless of any individual reaction or experience, everyone leaves the piece thinking, wanting a bit more. For Meris, this is the true power of The Middle Passage.

-AK

More pictures of The Middle Passage can be seen at the NAGB's website. Click here to view them all.

The Middle Passage is on view till Thursday, April 26th 2012. The NAGB is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 to 4:00pm, Sunday 12:00 to 4:00 pm. The 3rd Sunday of every month is free for Bahamians, the next one is April 14th, 2012.

NAGB Intern: Aaron Theus

This past week we had an Intern who assisted us at the gallery. We had an amazing time with Aaron Theus, who was always quick to help with tours, collections management and membership. He picked up some new skills on the way and we hope to see him again in the future interning or volunteering with us.

NAGB Intern for a week, Aaron Theus.

Hello, my name is Aaron. I am in the eleventh grade and I attend St. Anne’s school. Each year, our school encourages us to take part in “Work Study” week. This is when our school assigns us students to a business or company that appeals to us. As a fan of art, they assigned me to work at the National Art Gallery of The Bahamas. I was thrilled to work with a group of people who have the same interest like me. They are really friendly people and they all have great work ethics. During my stay I’ve learnt about photography, managing a website and I also learnt how to use Photoshop. My stay at the gallery also made me appreciate Junkanoo and Bahamian art more. These people put in a lot of work making and designing Junkanoo costumes. I really enjoyed my week at the gallery. If I ever get another opportunity, I will work there again. Hopefully, I could have some of my work being displayed the next time I visit the gallery.

The National Art Gallery of The Bahamas is establishing an internship and work-study program for high school, college and graduate students who are interested in the visual arts and the careers in this field. Interns and work-study participants will receive hands on experience in working within a museum setting.
For more information please call the gallery at 328-5800/1.